‘Pokémon: The First Movie’ Getting Theatrical Re-Release

I was never too into the Pokémon franchise, having only been directly exposed to it via three things: Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Stadium, and through the controversial mandate that required every person between the ages of 8 and 14 in 1999 to see it, Pokémon: The First Movie. Now, that law is going into effect once again, with a new re-release of this cinematic milestone.

Pokémon: The First Movie, based on my childhood recollections of same, focuses much of its dramatic energy on Mewtwo, an evil Pokémon who vies for world domination by robbing other Pokémon of their powers and forcing them to fight to the death with their bare paws (that happened, right?). There’s a theme song, and a lot of rain, and what else do you want, I was 11 when this thing came out for the first time.

Anyway, you can see if Pokémon: The First Movie is coming to your town again by heading over to the official Cinemark website right here. And if you’re between the ages of 8 and 14, remember: You have to see this movie, it’s the law.